


Galaxies Away

by MapleBreeze



Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)
Genre: Character Study, Crushes, Homesickness, Light Angst, Loneliness, Love, M/M, Pining, Possibly Unrequited Love, Post-3Below (Tales of Arcadia)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:41:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26282815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MapleBreeze/pseuds/MapleBreeze
Summary: Feeling out of place on Akiridions 5(though still living his sci fi dreams), Eli wonders about everything he's missing on Earth. Family, friends, home, are all so far away. Eli feels more homesick than ever before and there are too many things that remind him of Krel. He wonders what it would be like if he were here.
Relationships: Eli Pepperjack & Aja Tarron & Varvatos Vex, Eli Pepperjack & Krel Tarron, Eli Pepperjack/Krel Tarron
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	Galaxies Away

**Author's Note:**

> I've been wanting to write this for awhile and planned to get this out before wizards so oops 
> 
> Anyways I hope you enjoy!  
> This whole time I've been very interested about what Eli has been up to on Akiridion 5

When Eli and the others arrived through the transporter, they were met with cheering crowds of Akiridions, their voices ringing through the area. Aja and Varvatos stood out on a platform as the people hailed the return of its royalty and heroes.

Eli watched in awe, taking in the vast blue space. Aliens filled the stands around the arena and crowded to watch as their faces lit up on giant screens. Aja stepped up proudly, explaining what happened on Earth and that Morando was finally defeated. Despite her previous protests she looked like she was made for this. The leadership, the power, like a true queen. Even if she was still technically the Queen-in-Waiting. Varavatos stood behind her, looking just as happy to be home albeit more smug about the whole thing.

It felt wrong being up there with them. They were from here and did great things. He was just a human who helped a little. Eli felt himself stepping back. Maybe he had made the wrong decision coming here. It was all so different. He was so different.

Eli glanced back the way that they came, it wasn’t that far from the door, maybe--he felt a hand on his arm. Aja gave him a big smile. She pulled him forward, declaring, “This is Eli of the Pepperjack, a human from Earth. He is an ally of House Terron and aided us back on Earth in the fight against Morando.”

Eli felt himself blush at her praise but felt a bit better. He took a deep breath and stood prouder next to his new friends.

Since then, things had gone smoothly, the Akiridions welcomed him, Aja, and Varvatos back like heroes and he found himself seeing crazy new things every day.

The first few weeks or wardons as they called them, he spent exploring the city. Aja gave him a tour of the city via hoverboard the (darkon) after they got there, and it was incredible. He got to see the palace and the parking drones they had been flying to stop Morando before. Aja also showed him all the places she used to go to escape her royal life, like the skeltag fights or hoverboard races. He even got to ride one by himself for a while.

And of course, throughout his exploration of the city, there were tons of aliens. So different from humans but also so similar. Only a few months ago he barely hoped to find some more evidence for his theories about them, and now he was living on a planet with them!

So, at first, Akiridion 5 was everything Eli had ever dreamed of. An alien planet, far more advanced than Earth. The wonderful ever-present technology that covered its main city, lighting up in every corner and filling the world in seemingly impossible ways. Eli wanted to learn about it all. Back on Earth, he’d never even been out of the state and now he was on another planet.

Even after several wardons, he could still hardly believe it himself. It felt like he was in one of the sci fi shows he watched, a boy whisked away in a spaceship to another world, only to wake up again in his bed at home or having lost all memory of the trip, but no. He woke up again and again on Akiridion 5. Only a look out the window to prove the reality of the situation once more.

And look out the window he did. It was always and incredible sight, with all the bright blue lights and completely different sky, it never got old.

Eli really liked being here on Akiridion 5, it was all his dreams of space and aliens come true. And Aja and Varvatos put up with all his questions, proud of their world they were finally able to share after having to keep it a secret for so long. But Eli had felt somewhat off recently. He wasn’t sure if it was the new planet or the strange food at first but now he was more sure.

He was homesick.

That’s what he realized first. He missed the comfort of his room at home, with his posters and theories all up on the wall. He almost laughed knowing how much he’d have to now add to it. His alien theory was definitely true. He even missed his mom’s nagging a bit.

But thinking of his mom only made things worse, it reminded him of all he left behind in Arcadia. Steve, Toby, Krel. He missed his friends all so much. He’d already missed Jim over the summer after he left, and he’d spent more time with Toby and Steve. It felt so weird not to immediately call Steve and excitedly tell him everything about this place in the same way they’d been doing for the past few months since they’d become Creepslayerz. Almost every time he found a new connection, a new theory, he’d call Steve and tell him, or he’d come over and they would start investigating. It was hard without his best friend.

Eli wondered if Steve felt the same and missed him too. He probably also missed Aja a lot, he didn’t think Steve was faring that well without his girlfriend or best friend. Eli let out a sigh.

It was also strange how much he missed Krel. It felt different even though he’d known him for much less time than the others. They had such a fun time working on the movie together, Eli hadn’t realized how close they’d gotten.

But maybe it was something more. Thoughts of Steve and Aja, of Jim and Claire, passed through his mind. He felt his heart jump at the idea of something like that, but then he thought of Krel.

He thought of the way he looked when he talked about tech or music, so excited and different from his normal disinterest. He wondered what he’s been doing on Earth now that the threat from Morando is gone. Maybe when he returns, they could make another movie together. Maybe this time Eli could be the one rescued by Kleb. Thoughts of Jim and Claire in the play so long ago flashed in his mind.

He shook his head, trying to avoid anything else down that route, but it wasn’t that easy. So, he did what he always did at home and went over to the window to get some fresh air and see the world. That always made him feel better.

But then again, here was different. The blue lit expanse of the city looked back at him as he stuck his head out the window. Then the fact of who’s window this was popped into his head again. Remembering this fact only made it worse.

Aja had given him Krel’s room for his stay. Usually guests would have other rooms in the palace and there certainly was enough space for that by the looks of it, but Aja had given him special permission. He wondered if she felt a bit alone like he did, without her brother or Varvatos or Steve. Maybe it was comforting to have someone she knew nearby.

It was a nice room, but it felt weird at the same time. He was staying in the king-in-waiting’s bedroom on another planet. He supposed that part would never get less weird, but maybe the strangeness of it was what he really wanted.

Maybe part of him wished Krel was here with him.

He’d always avoided thinking about it before. Krel had always seemed so far away, different planet or not. With him being so smart, Eli felt below him, like he’d never measure up. But maybe something was changing.

As time went on, Eli noticed that Krel was happier and less easily annoyed as when he first came to Earth. He remembered how much fun they had together filming that movie. Krel’s proud smile flashed through his mind, from the time he’d done so well at Dogfight. How Eli longed to see it again. Along with his lovely voice of course.

Eli thought of every moment he spent with him. That time at Toby’s filming too close for Eli’s piece of mind. When Krel saved him from the Billycraggle in the woods, and the fluttering that stirred in Eli’s chest afterward. The film editing Eli spent hours on, trying not to get distracted by its star. Their mutual disgust with Staja during that battle. And the look in his eyes when he waved goodbye.

Eli looked around the room, trying to bring his thoughts to the present. He didn’t want to make it more painful, but could any of it mean more? He shook his head and went back to looking around.

There were various wires and pieces of technology spread out on a table across the room. He sat down on the bed, thinking about how Krel would’ve sat in this very spot.

Eli took a deep breath and tried to relax. He would be home again soon enough, and he knew he would miss his time here by then. Eli pulled the covers over his body, curling into his pillow. He had to enjoy it now.

But that didn’t stop him from wondering how it would be if Krel was here with him. How he would’ve showed him all of his favorite places in the city along with Aja’s, how he would’ve been annoyed by Eli’s unending questions but answered them anyway. He would’ve showed him this room and told him not to touch any of his tech on that table but end up explaining it all. He would’ve loved it.

The thoughts gave him a jolt of happiness and he reassured himself that all that could be a very real possibility in the future. Eli didn’t know what he planned to do, if he should ask or wait to see if Krel wanted to. All he knew is that he would see Krel again soon, and it would be worth it even if his feelings were never return

But maybe, just maybe, Krel would come and tell Eli he felt the same.

Eli let himself be comforted by the thought and took off his glasses, settling into bed. Maybe one day, Krel would be here with him, holding Eli with his many arms as they drifted off to sleep together.

**Author's Note:**

> I love Kreli and it felt nice to finally write another one shot with them, so I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Feel free to comment and give feedback!


End file.
